The newspaper is being sent to its subscribers. For one particular copy of the paper, we might say, ‘Bon Voyage,’ because this paper is going to a subscriber in Paris, France.
Today we’ll learn about a homegrown rural Kansas newspaper that is connecting with people across the nation and beyond.
Last week, we met Fred and Vali Smith, the longtime owners of Tipton Grocery in Tipton. Fred Smith is also publisher of the Tipton Times. In 1991, the Smiths moved back to Tipton from west Chicago to provide a safe, secure, small-town family environment for their kids.
They bought the Tipton Grocery and expanded it through the years. In fall 2023, they sold the grocery store to a local woman’s grandson and his wife. “I probably could have sold it sooner but I really wanted to keep it local,” Smith said. The new owners will be the fifth owners of the store in 117 years.
The family atmosphere of Tipton greatly appealed to the Smiths and attracted them back from Chicago. The Smiths’ four children are now grown.
Daughter Sarah is with the diplomatic corps of the U.S. State Department and is stationed in Islamabad. Theresia is a banker in Colorado where she lives with her husband. Jake is a writer and owner of a fence building company in Manhattan where his wife Ashley is principal of Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. Joe, a social worker, also lives in Manhattan with his wife Natalie and their daughter.
